Punta Guilarte Beach
Today’s goal – explore the southeast side of the island
Sunset in Laguna Grande
Kayaking with Sharmila
Island life!
Another jaw dropping power of the waves
Those are some eye popping waves
Last night, we had asked Alejandro who was helping us at the bar for some tips on beaches. This was the first one he suggested – Playa Puerto Nuevo.
One side of the beach has some huge rocks. See the first picture. The lowest point is probably 40-60 feet high.
Now see the eye-popping large wave come and crash on it from behind. And in its wake, leave a lot of small waterfalls on the rock.
I have never seen anything like this. The videos are jaw dropping!
That sight harkens back to days nearly four decades back
Our IIT coach would take us to Elliott Beach in Chennai to practice soccer before Inter IIT games. I was the goalkeeper. So, I welcomed the soft landing in sand after diving. The problem, of course, was that the ball would drift more than I would anticipate in the wind. Almost broke my wrist for misjudging the ball by an inch while trying to thwart a thundering kick from Satish Sundar. That guy had the hardest kick in the team.
That is a crazy coincidence!!
So, here I am in Puerto Rico. The main reason is to attend the wedding of somebody I know. Much younger to me, of course. I am on the board of the company that he is the CEO of. Turns out I was his mentor for a couple of years before that too. So, I show up with Sharmila at the Bacardi Distillery. It was a small and fairly intimate wedding.
Other than the bride and the groom I did not know anybody. Sharmila and I were intently watching the proceedings of the Indian wedding. All of ten minutes must have passed.
That “I did not know anybody”, bit? Completely unfounded.
Suddenly a gentleman in chic, traditional Malayali dress walks up to me and Sharmila.
“Rajib?”
“Guilty!”
“Hari. Hari Menon!”
“Wow! I would not have recognized you!!”
I knew Hari very well from the 90s. We had worked together. But I could not have picked him up from a crowd. He had however, recognized me in the gathering.
“Hari. Wait. What is your connection?”
“I am Vivek’s cousin”
“No way!”
The groom and I know each other for a few years now. In fact, he and his bride-to-be had gone out for dinner with Sharmila and me too. But we never figured out that we had such a common connection!!
Go figure!!